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Iran will receive the first shipments of the
Russian S-300 PMU-1 air/missile
defense systems next year (2008), an unidentified defense
industry source told the Russian news agency Interfax. The Russian
agency confirmed the Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Najjar
quoted saying that Iran will soon receive the missiles, under
a previously signed contract. Officially, the Russian federal
service of military technical cooperation (FSMTS) denied the
issue has been disclosed in Iran, or that such a contract has
been signed, defining the the recent news as 'irrelevant'. However,
the Russian newspaper Kommersant claimed the value of the S-300
sale is estimated at US$800 million. (More...)
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The decision follows current Russian arms trade policy led by
President Vladimir Putin, stressing Russian right to pursue
opportunities regardless to US restrictions that effected Russian
defense exports in recent years.
According to the Russian sources, the Iranians will receive
five fire units of the the S-300 PMU-1 version, comprising 20
quad or twin launchers, supporting radars and command, control
and communications systems. PMU-1 is the basic version offered
by the Russians and, according to the Russian Kommersant daily
newspaper, it is possible that the delivery will be made by
withdrawing and modifying S-300s from active Russian Air Defense
units. The PMU-1 is a relocatable system (towed by trucks) introduced
in the early 1990s as an upgrade of the S-300 (SA-10) system,
which replaced the SA-5 Gammon in Russian service in the 1980s.
The PMU-1 upgrade was the first missile interceptor model of
the SA-10, that represented the climax of the cold war, as these
missiles provided the first defensive shield of Moscow. S-300
has become one of the most attractive defense export products,
along with the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter and T-80 tank. Among the
S-300 Operators are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia,
Bulgaria, Slovakia, China, Vietnam, Greece (transferred from
Cyprus) and Algeria. Syria and Libya are also known to have
the system on their wish list.
Further upgrades of the S-300 PMU-1 are the improved PMU-2
version (also known as Favorit or SA-20) this version is capable
of intercepting aerodynamic targets at ranges up to 200 km.
An equivalent, but all-terrain mobile system mounted on tracked
chassis is the S-300V (equivalent of PMU-1) and the Antey
2500 system (S-300 VM or SA-23) - equivalent of the PMU-2
Favorit. All versions offer improved defense capability against
aerodynamic and aero-ballistic targets, including aircraft,
cruise missiles and ballistic missiles (fired from ranges of
2,500 km). These missiles are reportedly designed to operate
against low-radar-cross-section targets, such as 'semi stealth'
cruise missiles. Such characteristics are promising to provide
the Iranians with defensive capability from potential Israeli
threats, such as the Jericho II missiles, which reportedly have
a range of 1,500 km. The missile defense footprint of all S-300
versions (PMU-1,2, S-300V or Antey 2500) is about 40 km. The
S-300 has an effective anti-aircraft defense footprint of up
to 200 km, dramatically increasing their air defense capability
beyond current 'point defense' capabilities. Almaz-Antey
is currently developing a further improved S-300 version called
S-400 (S-300 PMU-3) designed
as the next generation missile defense system. Most counries
(apart from Russia) are using early models of S-300/S-300V variants.
Vietnam and China are operating the the PMU-1 version while
China aso deploy the PMU-2. Algeria is also interested in the
system but according to Russian sources, the deal has not been
finalized after recent setbacks in relations between Moscow
and Algires.
This effect will introduce major limitation on the performance
of potential cruise missile strikes such as the Tomahawk,
JASSM or Storm
Shadow. Furthermore, the acquisition of 'dozens' of S-300
systems, after the induction of TOR-1M
into the Iranian air defense service hints of their capability
to field an integrated air defense system based on the latest
Russian doctrine, eying the TOR as the lower-tier defense, uses
'hard kill' against precision guided weapons fired from standoff
range, beyond the SAM reach, enabling the long range SAM to
maintain full operational capability even under intensive suppression
by jamming and anti-radar missile attack.
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